MAE TEN VS THE UNIVERSE
by becschi
Summary: Honestly, this is a result of my procrastination. It revolves around characters that I had created in a cliche plot. Basically, the main, female protagonist will encounter a stranger that is related to her through family ties; changing her life forever. She will go on adventures and saving the universe. It has romance, friendship, family, and lots of great sugar for this cup of tea
1. Chapter 1

**UNIVERSES**

Multiverse Theory is a common controversy amongst people who believe that something of that concept doesn't exist. But, it must be understood that many universes exist parallel to each other – to ours. That's what the _Book of Dummies_ states. The great book states that there are multiple levels that support the theory of these "parallel universes".

First, Level 1, parallel universes says that space is vast in which the rules of probability that planet Earth – somewhere out there – will be similar to ours…or yours. In fact, some of the events that play out in one Earth will be identical to those on our (or your) Earth. Meaning, if you go far enough, you can go back home. Second, Level 2, the space between us and other universes are expanding at a higher rate than the speed of light to the point that it is unreachable. To put it simply, when the space inflates, more universes will be created. So, it is probable that other universes are in other locations. Third, Level 3, parallel universes are different from the others that were listed because this one takes place at the _same_ space and time as our…or your…universe – but no access to it at all. Therefore, there will be no contact with any Level 1 or 2 universes, but in contact with Level 3. And what is the most scary thing, in Level 3 universes means contact every moment of your life, every decision you make, is somehow causing a split of your present self into an limitless supply of your future self (advise that you guys are totally unaware of all of this). So, in which case, if you stay where you are you will actually run into yourself – in a way. Last, Level 4 is the strangest one. Why? Well, Level 4 universes would follow different laws of nature than our universe…or yours. Basically, if it's possible then it could be possible somewhere else. For example, just to be silly, a world where everything is upside down. But, sometimes would it be bad to think that it could actually exist – these "parallel universes"?

It comes a time in your life when you will have to know this. The universe is so vast that you may not know who you will meet. Sometimes it is a way of wishful, hopeful thinking to believe in the concept of the Multiverse Theory. Like, what if such-and-such didn't happen? Well, there has to be a universe for that. Or, if I hadn't met this person, would I still have the possibility to meet them again? There could be an answer for that.

The world is a mysterious place – space is a scary place. And honestly, we all hope we won't come to find a time where we will all find the answer to that. But, then again, we will all dance around a large circle to come and find out.

Now, that's scary.


	2. Chapter 2

"What's meant to be will always find a way"

― Trisha Yearwood

 **CHOSEN**

 **November 19**

The skies were a perfect, bright shade of blue that were covered with puffy clouds like cotton balls. The sun brightly lit the sky, radiating the earth with its bright rays. The leaves rustling with the calming blows of the wind.

In the city of Bellwood, everything was in top-notch shape. People would do their errands, children would go to school, and businessmen would go to their corporate jobs. Just like any average day in Bellwood.

In one neighborhood, in a beautiful, peaceful suburb called Meadow Parks, there was a small, one-story house with yellow brick and dark roofing. A tall oak tree stood in the front yard, a housing for the singing birds of Bellwood. A beautiful patio contained hanging plants and a white colored bench that rested next to the large, white framed window.

Inside, an adolescent girl was getting ready for another day of high school. Gathering her things, she walked into the kitchen to meet her grandmother making breakfast.

"Good morning, Mae," her grandmother greeted, laying the plates of waffles and bacon on the table.

"Morning," Mae replied, yawning. She licked her lips when she noticed the steaming food that was her breakfast.

She quickly grabbed the fork and knife, devouring the food. Her grandmother chuckled, grabbing her cup of hot coffee. She sat by her granddaughter, watching her gobble and vacuum her food.

"Don't eat too fast, Mae. You'll choke," her grandmother stated, pouring sugar in her coffee.

Mae swallowed hard, sighing. "Sorry grandma," she said, grinning. She quickly placed her plate in the sink and grabbed her backpack that rested by the table's leg. "I'll have to go. I gotta run,"

Her grandmother chuckled, replying, "You always 'gotta run', Mae,"

"What can I say, grandma, I'm a person who has places to be," she stated, shrugging her shoulders.

Mae kissed her grandmother's temple and quickly shuffled out the kitchen. She wished the small, orange tabby with a swinging tail that rested on top of the windowsill good-bye, running through the hallway.

Her grandmother gasped, yelling out the doorway of the kitchen, "Oh! Congrats on your acceptance to the school's Honor Society!"

Mae yelled over her shoulder; "Thank you!"

She closed the door behind her and picked up her resting bike. With one foot pushing the pedal to start the bicycle going, Mae rode through the yard and then raced down the sidewalk. Pedaling down the sidewalk on her street of Haven Boulevard, she greeted some of her neighbors with big grins and friendly waves. Her short, brunette hair whipped around as she raced through the chilly air and blowing winds, grinning ecstatically.

It was a good day for Mae. She was, in fact, accepted in The Honor Society at her school through her hard work and restless nights of studying. She was so close to reaching her goal to be successful – to reach higher places. It was the only thing that she could do. Besides her schoolwork, she volunteered in her community to help those in need; she always had a knack at wanting to help others. In addition, Mae was in her high school's soccer team and, currently, is on their lacrosse team. But, it was hard to manage everything at once. Being a junior is difficult, but Mae is determined to keep going.

The grin that stretched from ear to ear couldn't be erased. Mae was going to have the greatest day today, if it is the last thing she'll get.

At the corner of the street of Haven Boulevard and Deerpark Drive, a car with green and black paint lingered by the curb. A person inside eyed the brunette, adolescent girl who raced down the street with her bicycle. Smirking, the person put the car in drive and turned around to pursue the teenager. Steadily behind the bicycle, the car followed.

After a block or two, Mae began to realize a suspicious car has been following her. Instead of quickening her pedaling, she slowed down to the point of halting. However, the car was steadily passing her. Mae looked through the thick window, not seeing a person inside. Then, the car quickly sped up and turned the corner.

Mae rose a brow, saying to herself; "Weird…"

During her bike to her school, Mae couldn't get the car out of her mind. She began to wonder who that person was and why that person stalked her. However, Mae wasn't scared or anxious – she felt curious. She pondered and pieced together that a car like that wasn't recognizable in the normal city she lived in. The car was too…exotic.

She lifted her leg over the seat, slowing down as she approached the front of the school. She placed her bike in the bicycle rack, securing her bike in place. Pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, Mae threw her backpack over her shoulder.

"Mae!"

She looked up and noticed a charming girl with long, silky blonde hair running towards her. Mae smiled warmly, recognizing her close friend.

"Autumn! Hey," Mae greeted, standing up from kneeling.

Autumn smiled, but she frowned. Mae gotten confused by Autumn's sudden change of expression. "What's wrong?" Mae asked.

"You didn't attend this morning's mandatory club meeting," Autumn stated, hands pressed on her hips.

Mae fell silent, quickly realizing her mistake. However, it wasn't to no surprise that Autumn would know about Mae missing from the meeting - she was the President in the club. She was perfect in every way, in Mae's opinion. Perfect attendance, grades, and looks. However, Mae loved more about how she was; she was smart, kind, and responsible. Then, Mae realized that Autumn was waiting patiently for her excuse. Right, she had totally forgotten the meeting because she was up all night studying for her Physics' exam. In summary, Physics is her hardest subject.

"It slipped my mind," Mae stated, grinning sheepishly.

Autumn sighed, she replied; "You're too forgetful. How did you make it this far?"

"It surprises me, too. I'll try to remember next time, okay? I have to go,"

Autumn continued to scold her as she quickly left her friend behind. Autumn sighed again, defeated. She told herself that that girl was always trouble and a huge responsibility.

Mae rushed through the hallway, greeting familiar faces. She ran into her first period, Physics, and quickly went to the desk that was at the back of the room. She wanted to cram as much as she could before the first period officially starts. She threw her backpack on the top of her desk and unzipped it. However, she noticed an alien object packed inside. She pulled it out and noticed its strange appearance. It was a circular disk with a green, hourglass-shaped object decorating it.

"What's this?" Mae asked, wondering how this item got in her backpack.

The bell rung.

Mae jumped in her seat and shoved the object back in her backpack. She knew it wasn't time to think about that disk now. She placed her backpack on the side of her desk, waiting for her teacher to arrive.

Her teacher strolled inside the room with stature and stride. She was tall and lanky with curly, thick red strands. Her face was droopy and engraved with wrinkles. Her glasses hugged around her large hook nose that flared every time she spoke. Her big eyeballs eyed everyone in the room. She cleared her throat and croaked: "Please take out your holopens and begin your exam!"

Leaning to the side to grab her pen from her backpack's front pocket, Mae heard a loud beeping coming from her backpack. Mae's heart stopped.

Her teacher's head snapped to the back of the class where Mae sat. Her classmates followed the teacher stomp furiously to Mae. Each whispering amongst each other about how Mae is going to be murdered by her.

Mae grabbed the disk and noticed the hourglass blinking. Mae shook it and banged it against her chair.

"Shut up!" Mae hissed, trying to find a way to turn it off.

Quickly, a lanky hand swiped it from Mae's small hand. Her Physics teacher's nose flared as she scrutinized the alien object.

"Well, Miss. Johnson, I would have never expected yourself to be a cheater," her teacher squeaked.

"Ms. West, I promise I wasn't cheating. That's not even mine!" Mae claimed, pointing at the object.

"Oh? Then, why is it in your backpack?"

Mae fell silent, green orbs staring at the object and at Ms. West's bulging orbs. "Um, honestly, I have no idea,"

The class chorused with giggling. Ms. West glared at her students and back at Mae with a scowl.

"Funny, Miss. Johnson. How about this?" Ms. West sneered, her nose flaring again; she continued, "Principal's office,"

Gawking, Mae sat frozen on her seat. Ms. West stomped her foot and pointed at the door. "Now!" she exclaimed.

Mae's head fell, slowly grabbing her backpack and trudging through the isle of desks. Ms. West handed her the object (that finally stopped beeping) and slammed the door behind her. Mae flinched, but sighed.

Looking down at her hand, she glowered at the object. She cursed at it, calling it names and telling it how it caused her a zero on a test grade.

She waited in the administration's office, tapping her foot nervously. The boy before her left the room with a large piece of pink paper, grimacing and frowning.

"Miss. Johnson," the principal called her in.

Mae sighed, lifting her heavy body off the seat. Her backpack slung over her shoulder and the object in her hand, she waltzed into the room.

The principal, Mr. Chanister, sat in his seat with a hologram screen illuminated on his desk. He told Mae to take a seat; Mae followed.

Sitting in the chair of punishment, Mae looked at her feet with shame. Mr. Chanister looked at the sullen teen, sighing. He turned the hologram off and rested his chin on his intertwined hands.

"I'm speechless, Miss. Johnson. I would have never thought to see you here in my office," he stated, shaking his head.

"Please, Mr. Chanister, I could explain. This thing-" Mae showed Mr. Chanister the object, continuing, "is not even mine! Someone must have slipped it in my backpack somehow. I swear, Mr. Chanister, I have been framed!"

Mr. Chansiter took the grain of salt, asking Mae for the object. Mae handed the object to Mr. Chanister to let him look at it. As he looked at it, the object began to beep again. However, the beeping was louder and seemed more potent than the last.

"See!" Mae yelled over the loud beeping, "It did that!"

Mr. Chanister grimaced from the loud sound, trying to look for a button to turn it off. But, as soon as Mr. Chanister was about to speak, the beeping instantly stopped. Mae looked at Mr. Chanister with piercing green eyes.

She said, crossing her arms, "Told you,"

Mr. Chanister deadpanned, passing the disk to Mae. Mae retrieved it, holding it in the palm of her hand. Mr. Chanister told Mae that he will let her off easy, but with one circumstance.

"Detention!" Mae exclaimed, then stammering, "But, but, but! But, The Honor Society! My rep at school!"

"Miss. Johnson, please relax. I will talk to the sponsor of the organization to let them know about the misunderstanding. Also, during detention, you will make-up your test,"

Mae puffed, crossing her arms. "The Wicked Witch won't even let me try,"

Mr. Chanister puckered his brow, upset about Mae's comment. "I understand how you feel, Miss. Johnson. But, it will only be today after school. Tomorrow, you will be let off easy,"

Mae sighed, but she smiled. She was relieved Mr. Chanister will let her go. Even though that the strange object that she had is not even hers, she felt like she got away from a crime.

The principal showed her out of the room and still handing her the large, pink paper. Mae held the sheet of paper with shame.

"Wow, never would've thought that the Wicked Witch of the West would do such a thing. Well, that's wrong – she would do something like that. But, to you! Now, that's cruel!" Mae's friend, Oscar, stated.

Mae was in detention. Her forehead resting on the top of her desk as she sighed miserably. It was just her and her friend sitting in the dull, empty room.

"Linda, you shouldn't fret about it. You're lucky Mr. Chani let you off easy," Oscar stated, letting his chair balance on its hind legs, "I've been here for a whole week,"

Turning her head over to look over at her friend, Mae sighed again. "That's because you did graffiti on the school's property, Os. But, like, I've worked so hard and – because of that stupid disk – all of it was almost taken from me,"

Oscar perked up, curious about this "disk" that Mae was mentioning. "Como? What disk is this?"

"Okay, it's this weird disk with some hourglass on it," Mae stated, leaning over to open her backpack. She pulled the disk out and showed it to her friend. She noticed Oscar's dark eyes pop open, shocked by the appearance of the object.

"You know what this is?" Mae asked, noticing Oscar's expression.

Oscar quickly shook his head, stating that he never seen something like that in his life. He grabbed the object and scrutinized it. He pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes and let his fingers rub across the surface of the alien object.

"So, this is what almost caused you to lose your rep as a nerd?" Oscar asked, jokingly.

"Har-har. But, yes. It was loud and beeping like crazy!" Mae replied

Oscar rose a thick brow. Letting his finger tap his chin, he began to think. "Maybe someone is trying to call you? Or it could be a distress call? I don't know; I'm not a huge tech geek,"

"Would your brother know?" Mae inquired, desperate for an answer.

Oscar shrugged his shoulders, replying; "Maybe. But, I don't know if he'll be able to help; the little dude always has something to do,"

Oscar's little brother – technically a half-brother – Luis Gomez, is a techy genius! He knows any type of circuit board inside and out – that goes for any sort of technology. Even if he wouldn't know, he would dissect it and, almost instantly, find an answer. Oscar and Luis looked alike, besides the fact that they're siblings, almost like twins; however, Luis is a year younger than Oscar. They have the darkest brown hair and caramel-colored skin with the same dark, brown orbs. But, Oscar had long, straight hair that reached down to his shoulders with some facial hair on his chin. Luis, on the other hand, was more clean and organized.

Mae banged her head on the desk, frustrated. "I have no idea what that thing is. I don't even know how it got in my backpack. And I have no leads or answers,"

"Are you an alien?" Oscar asked, seriously.

Mae glanced up and noticed Oscar's unsmiling expression. Mae wasn't sure if he was joking or being serious, but Mae felt her gut tighten.

She nervously chuckled, trying to ease the tension between them. "No way, dude. That's ridic. What makes you have that idea?"

Oscar chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know," Then, Oscar smirked, a witty comment coming to mind. "Maybe because you're out of this world ,"

Mae groaned, but giggled anyway. "Dude, that was bad,"

"Yeah, I know," Oscar replied, smiling.

After detention, Mae was accompanied by Oscar to the bike rack so Mae could get her bicycle. She unsecured it from the rack and pulled it out. She wrapped the chain around the handle bar and locked it into place.

The sky was slowly darkening, turning into dark shades of blue and purple. The sun was slowly disappearing, hiding behind the trees that lined up by skyline. It was almost time for dinner, Mae noted.

"Hey, you want to hang at Mr. Smoothy," Oscar asked, then added, "They have a special for any smoothies before seven," He helped Mae put on her backpack; receiving a "gracias" from Mae.

"I wish, bro. But, I have tons of homework to catch up on," Mae replied, saddened. "But, maybe next time?"

"Sure, next time," Oscar agreed.

He wished Mae good-bye and walked to the school's parking lot. Mae got on her bike and started her way home. By the end of the street, the same green and black mustang was waiting. The person inside was resting his head on the headrest, slowly dozing off. However, the monitor that was the person's radio was beeping. The person woke up, startled by the loud beeping. He noticed a green hourglass moving along the 2-D street.

"Finally," the person grumbled, turning the engine.

Mae was slowly bicycling her way home, enjoying the sunset. The soft, cool breeze grazed across her face as she rode down the sidewalk. Her hair dancing along with the wind, Mae let her bike sway side to side.

However, a beeping that came from her backpack interrupted her musing. She groaned, stopping. She placed her backpack on her lap and took out the annoying object. The hourglass was blinking and the beeping was becoming louder. But, just behind her, she heard a familiar purring from a particular exotic car.

Turning around, she noticed the sports car that was stalking behind her.

"You again?" Mae asked, irritated.

She threw her backpack over her shoulder and raced down the sidewalk. She let the object be half-held in her hand as she rested her hands on the handlebars. She quickly cut across the street, in front of the stalking car, and took a detour. The mustang roared and began racing after Mae.

Mae looked behind her, her hair blowing all over her face as she sped down the street. She pedaled with all her might. She heard the wind roaring passed her ears and the cold, harsh wind made her eyes teary.

"Why are you following me!" Mae yelled over her shoulder, "Leave me alone!"

Her thumb accidently pressed the surface of the object, illuminating a three-dimensional map. Mae halted to a stop, gawking at the object.

"Whoa,"

She noticed a red blinking point that beeped every time it flashed. Then, she noticed the white light that supposedly meant her location. Mae instantly realized what she needed to do.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the mustang screech around the corner. Mae gasped, pressing her feet on the pedal to start racing again.

She followed the directions of the map. She cut through people's yards, recklessly through corners, and through the neighborhood's park. The car was persistent; close to Mae's tail. However, Mae was smart and finally lost the stranger.

Panting loudly, Mae turned a corner into an abandoned trailer park. She hid her bike behind the solid fence and let her back rest against the solid metal. She peeked over the edge and noticed the mustang slowly prowl down the street. Seeing it disappear, Mae sighed in relief.

Letting herself rest on the dirt floor, Mae let her head fall back against the fence. The adrenaline still pounded and pulsed in her veins. She looked at the 3-D map, still noticing the blinking red dot. Groaning, she pushed herself off the ground and trudged across the trailer park.

She met a big, rusty RV that seemed to be aging in the same spot for years. She looked one side to another side of the RV, trying to find a way inside. She found the door on the other side. The door was rusted brown and the handle bar had slight fungus growing on it. Mae grumbled about how crazy she was for doing this.

She turned the map off and placed the object in her back pocket. She forcefully opened the door and a big puff of old, smelly air blew at her face.

"Gross!" She exclaimed, quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand.

She took one big step inside, trying to ignore the pungent smell of fungus and old smelly socks. Mae wondered how long this rust bucket was neglected. It was ridiculous, Mae thought.

She pulled the object out of her pocket and noticed the hourglass blink faster as she went down the aisle. She met a large, worn curtain at the end of the RV. She pressed her hand on the edge of the curtain, but a large mass of moths flew at her face.

Mae screeched, dropping the object from the sudden surprise of bugs at her face. She swatted at the bugs, jumping up and down.

The swarm of bugs flew away and out the RV. Mae panted, a hand pressing on her chest.

"I hate bugs," Mae stated, shivering.

She grabbed the object from the ground and carefully proceeded forward into an abandoned room. The room was covered in cobwebs and dust. The room contained two large desks with piles of paper and books that have dust piling on top. A small, white mug was tipped over at the edge with aged coffee staining the inside. Shelves hung on the walls with pictures and other books that Mae never recognized.

Mae read multiple types of books, but never recognized any of these. As she approached the desk, she let the mug stand properly and looked at the pile of papers.

The papers were classified documents that Mae never saw before, except for movies. They had pictures of strange creatures that looked like reptiles, amphibians, or neither. These things looked like something from some weird classic sci-fi movie that she use to watch when she was a kid. She wondered why someone, who was in this rust bucket, would be interested in these types of things. Mae wasn't comprehending what she was reading. She noticed, with a large, red bolded stamp at the center of each of the documents read "MISSING".

"These monsters are missing?" Mae wondered, "Who would even kidnap them?"

A picture frame that hung on the wall, below the shelves, perked Mae's curiosity. Mae leaned over and turned on the ancient lamp that stood on the corner of the table. She let the light lean over at the picture to let Mae get a better look. She wiped the dust off the glass and noticed three teens with an old man in front of the familiar RV. However, the RV looked new and wasn't covered in rust or fungus.

But, one particular person had Mae interested. It was a boy who looked oddly similar to her. He wore a green leather jacket with a tucked in black tee underneath. He had the similar piercing green eyes and brown hair. The features on his face was like hers: the nose, the thick eye brows, and the round ears. An idea sparked in her brain making Mae's heart instantly stopped.

"No way," Mae whispered, "Is this..."

A loud beeping and buzzing came from the object, interrupting Mae. She grabbed the object from the table and pressed the hourglass.

"Omnitrix in proximity," the object said in a monotone voice, "Plumber badge activate transformation,"

"It talks!" Mae gasped.

Instantly, the room was rumbling and beginning to change. The shelves were pulled inside the walls and spun to show mass amounts of never-before-seen weapons. Computer monitors appeared out of the walls through opening doors and the closet spun to show a gigantic safe that had an engraved circle in the middle.

Mae was frozen still. Part of her wanted to quickly leave and wash this out of her mind. This was so insane that Mae wasn't able to fathom the situation before her very eyes.

The engraved hole began to blink and beep quietly. Mae looked at the hole on the safe and at the object in her hand, getting an idea. Steadily, she approached the safe and pressed the object in the hole. Yet, nothing happened. Mae deadpanned, feeling the anticlimactic situation.

"Wow!" Mae drawled, sighing, "Fantastic,"

She tried pulling the object out but it wouldn't budge. Grunting, Mae tried to pull it out. She pressed her foot on the safe and tried to yank the object, but it wouldn't work. She sighed, giving up. Tapping a finger on her chin, she stared at the badge and contemplated what she could do.

"What if I…" Mae trailed. She turned the object clockwise and the rim of the object hissed. The object sunk into the gap and turned another one-eighty degrees. The hourglass shined brightly green and changed into a diamond shape. Sounds of locks clanked and the safe hissed with puffs of air coming out of the edges. The door opened and a bright flash of green light blinded Mae.

Mae, in the corner of her eye, noticed a soft, green glow. Peeking, she noticed a watch inside a levitating glowing orb.

"Whoa. That's just – whoa," Mae said, shocked.

She reached inside the safe, slowly. Her fingers lingering inside the glowing orb. The orb quickly vanished and the watch dropped in Mae's hands.

It was large, grey and bulky and seemed slightly heavy in Mae's nervous palms. But, a feeling inside Mae's gut turned and knotted. It was like some sort of déjà vu that Mae couldn't shake off. The watch beeped and the display flashed: "Scan commencing!". Mae threw her watch at the floor when she noticed a ray of green light surveyed her from top to bottom.

"Scan complete. Recalibration sequence starting!"

Mae was speechless. First, the weird alien documents; second, the photo on the desk; and third, the talking watch. Silent, she gawked at the watch lying a couple feet from her. She slowly stepped close to it and reached down to grab it, careful to not let it turn on again.

In that moment of connection, Mae's phone was buzzing inside her backpack. Out of shock, Mae almost dropped the watch (again). She quickly recovered and tried to whip her backpack off her shoulder to answer her phone.

She noticed it was her grandmother and groaned.

"Grandma, what's up?" she answered.

"Where are you, Maven Johnson! It is late and you aren't home!" her grandmother yelled on the other side.

Mae looked at the watch in the palm of her hand and scanned around the exotic decorated room.

"Sorry Grandma! I was at Autumn's house, uh, studying! We have a big test tomorrow," Mae lied. She winced when she noticed that she had answered to quickly. Maven wasn't a great liar.

Her grandmother paused, but she answered briefly, "Okay, next time please call me,"

"Yes, Grandma. I'll be home soon." Mae said, letting the phone press on her cheek as she shoved the watch and the badge in her backpack.

She looked over at the pile of documents and stack of books, realizing that she needs those too.

"Okay, well, dinner is in the microwave. I will see you here," her grandmother stated, then she made small kissing noises.

"Bye-bye" Mae hung up.

Before Mae was going to bolt out the room, she quickly stopped and looked at the photo of the familiar boy. She took the photo out of the picture frame and folded it to place it in her pocket.

Outside, in a dark alley, the exotic car waited outside the trailer park. He watched the familiar girl race through the exit with a big, hefty backpack on her back. The stranger in the car chuckled, smirking.

"Just like herding cattle," the stranger stated, looking at the blinking hourglass on the monitor's screen.


	3. Chapter 3

Also, it should be clear that the Ben 10: Omniverse universe doesn't happen. I have been planning this story since Alien Force came out. Sorry to those who loved that show. Anyway, the updates will be unpredictable; however, once the summer season kicks into gear, I will def be updating regularly. Thank you!

* * *

 **Fatal Encounter**

 **November 20**

Mae was out of it. On continuous occasions, she would doze off and lose sight of everything during her breakfast with her grandma, during her classes, and during her passing period. Her mind wandered to the night before; when she found that weird looking watch and the rust bucket of a RV. She recalled the documents she read over and the books (that weren't actually books but projectors that would illuminate a hologram display) that would have information of different "intergalactic species".

Mae was baffled. She never did believe in "intergalactic species". The only thing that she knew that were considered to be "alien" was the microorganisms underneath the microscope in her advanced Biology class. Christ, she was wasn't your normal superstitious teenager; she was an honor student whose daily struggle is hormones and angst. Plus, this sort of ordeal was extra weight upon her stress. She couldn't tell anyone about this because – well, let's be honest – who would believe her?

"Linda, are you there? Earth to Maven,"

Mae was dragged back down to reality. It was lunch time and she was sitting across her friends Oscar and Autumn. Her friends exchanged a worried glance at each other.

"Girl, you've been dozing off so much today. What's the deal?" Autumn said, pointing her salad fork at Mae.

"Yeah, during English you were dozing off while we were reading _Beowulf_. I mean, who could blame you because that story is hella boring," Oscar stated, chowing down on his pizza. Oscar received a glare from Autumn.

" _Beowulf_ is a splendid masterpiece, Oscar. It is great literature about an honorable hero from long family lines and who would sacrifice himself for anyone for the sake of others. Also, it had a beautiful ending of him being remembered for ages because of his honorable deeds and sacrifices," Autumn preached in a musing tone. She flicked Oscar's shoulder when he gagged.

Autumn and Oscar began to bicker at each other; however, Mae wasn't paying attention. Besides the fact that this was a normal routine between them, Mae was dozing off again. However, this time Mae's mind drifted off about the picture. The boy that was in it resembled herself; as a result, Mae would always find her eyes falling on the image. It didn't weird Mae out; it attracted her.

It was of her father. She knew of that. How else would she think of that person to be? She never had seen her father, and seeing that photo was the first. Her father disappeared, or bailed, thirteen years ago when she was just a toddler. The thought of her father made her think of her deceased mother who passed away during a lab explosion. After that, she lived with her grandmother. She grew up with her and saw her grandmother to be the closest thing of the two, mother and father. However, her grandmother, whenever Mae would mention about her father, would always change topics.

It was ridiculous, Mae thought. It has been thirteen years and Mae finally has a reason to know about him – even previously.

"Maven!"

Mae blinked, jumped from the yelling. She noticed Autumn turn red with anger. "Girl, you're doing it again!"

"Sorry," Mae mumbled, nudging a piece of broccoli with her fork.

"Are you okay?" Oscar asked, concerned.

Mae nodded. She said, "Yeah. I'm just exhausted from studying all night,"

Which wasn't a lie, technically. Mae was up all night going through the information and trying to piece things together; however, it puzzled her more.

"Study? But there isn't any tests to study for?" Autumn answered.

"What? Mae told me last night that she needed to catch up with some stuff,"

Mae nodded. She replied, "Yeah, I was studying for the ACT that I will be taking in January,"

Which wasn't a lie either, technically. She was planning to study for the ACT last night, but plans were canceled.

"You need a break, Maven," her friend Autumn stated seriously. She leaned over the table and laid a soft palm on Mae's hand. "I know that you're always busy, but humans need to rest."

"Thanks for your concern, Autumn," Mae stated, smiling.

"Yeah, the human species always need to find ways to take breaks like Mr. Smoothy," Oscar added.

Autumn rolled her eyes, huffing. "You're too obsessed with that place, Oscar,"

The bickering commenced. Mae stared back and forth between her two friends. She smiled warmly, thinking about how she deeply cared for the both of them. Nevertheless, it did kill her that she couldn't tell them about her dark secrets. First, how her father somehow ditched her as a kid and it so happens that the things she collected ties back to him. Second, some dude in a sports car is following her. Third, intergalactic species are missing.

The bell rang for dismissal and the crowd stood up simultaneously. Oscar and Autumn got up and both walked away, distracted by their squabbling. Mae threw her backpack over her shoulder and went to the trashcan to throw away her trash. She placed her blue, plastic tray on the large stack on the table in the corner of the cafeteria.

She looked over at the large windows that scaled from the ceiling to the floor, noticing the clear, blue sky and how the leaves of the school's trees would slowly flutter to the ground. But, in the back, she noticed a familiar car waiting by the curb of the school.

A beeping in her backpack commenced. She let her backpack rest on top of the lunch table and unzipped it. She took out the disk and noticed that the hourglass wasn't blinking.

"What?" Mae spoke. She wondered where the beeping was coming from.

She dug inside her backpack and noticed a green winking light at the corner of her backpack. She took the suspicious object out and noticed that it was the watch that was beeping.

"The watch?" Mae wondered.

A large crowd of screaming highschoolers stampeded through the hallway by the cafeteria. Mae, at the back of the cafeteria, watched the pandemonium rush pass her. Mae tried to ask the passer-byers what was all the commotion about, but everyone was too busy screaming to answer. There was a moment of silence as the large crowd dispersed from the inside of the school. Then, seconds later, a large monster appeared in the entrance of the commons.

It was wide in width and tall in length. It had large muscular arms and small hind legs. It appeared to be a large, obese gorilla that was covered in thick scaly skin like a horned lizard. Its eyes glowed red and it had sharp canines.

"Recalibration ended. Omnitrix fully updated," the watch's voice resonated inside the large commons.

The watch transformed from a clunky greenish-grey into a sleek, white band with a clear, lustrous display. Panicked, she clenched the watch to her chest to try to muffle the noise. However, she saw the monster snap its head towards her direction. The monster slammed its fists onto the floor and yelled out a deep belly roar; as a result, spit and goop spraying out of its large and sharp-tooth framed mouth.

Mae froze as she watched the monster lash through the cafeteria, watching the tables flying in the air. Loud thumps echoed in the empty commons; however, the sound of her quickening pulse blocked out the sound. Just before the monster and she were feet apart, Mae quickly threw the bag over her shoulder and bolted out of the cafeteria. Before she could take her first step outside, the monster threw its fist and knocked it against Mae's back. Mae flew across the courtyard and skidded against the earth.

Curled into a fetal position, Mae hissed in pain. She looked at her elbow and parts of her upper arm, noticing skid marks and grass burns. "Ouchy," she mumbled.

The monster slammed its fists against the earth, making small craters, and then began charging towards the injured girl. Mae tried to get up, but her arm stung in pain. She tightly squeezed the beeping watch to her chest and closed her eyes shut. Mae was ready to embrace death as she was wishing each of her loved ones a quick good-bye.

But, nothing happened. She peeked through one eye and noticed another large monster wrestling against the other. However, this monster was orange and brown. It looked similar to a jellyfish because the top of its head appeared to be a sort of jellyfish's bell and had tentacles going down like hair. The jellyfish monster shocked the other causing the monster to fall unconscious. The jellyfish monster shrunk and turned to look at Mae sitting on the ground in shock.

"Linda, you need to run," the monster said.

Mae's jaw dropped. "Oscar?"

The monster knelt in front of the shocked teen. It laid its hands on Mae's shaken ones. "I have no time to explain. Please, Maven, you need to run,"

Mae knew it had to be Oscar because of the nickname, but he didn't look anything like him. Crap, he didn't sound like him! Maven noticed his eyes were a solid white, his skin appeared slimy and sticky, and he smelt like seafood. His eyes still gave her a warm look and his hands clenched hers tenderly.

Over the corner of Oscar's shoulder, Mae noticed the monster getting back up. Mae pointed at it and stammered out; "T-the thing."

Oscar grew in size; his arms instantly buffing and his body enlarging quickly. He grabbed the monster by the forearms and threw him across the school's courtyard.

Oscar turned to Mae, yelling; "Maven, protect that watch and get the hell out of here!"

"But, Oscar, you need-"

"Just go! And don't let anyone touch that watch!" Oscar yelled. He collided with the monster and shocked it with his tentacles.

Mae quickly gotten up, yet she was hesitant to leave Oscar behind. Mae knew that she couldn't have done anything to help him - she'll only get in the way. So, she ran.

She had forgotten about her bike; not caring about its existence during the horrendous moment. She just let her legs take action and lead her away from the school. She had to go home – she needed to be with her grandmother.

She rushed to her front yard and quickly burst through the door. She slammed the door behind her and let her back be pushed against it. With the watch still clutched close to her chest, Mae felt herself panting harshly. Her throat was dry and it stung from the chilled air, her lips were cracked, and her eyes were pushing tears. Maven was scared.

"G-grandma! Grandma Lily!" Mae called out. Her voice was so hoarse due to the autumn air that it came out as a croak. Mae was beginning to cry out of panic from the harsh scene that played out on the courtyard a couple minutes ago.

The house was quiet and dark. Mae soon realized as she walked down the hallway that something had to be wrong.

"Grandma?"

In the darken living room, her grandmother appeared with a warm smile and her arms outstretched to give Maven a hug.

"Maven! You're alright!" her grandmother said. She embraced the shaking teen, trying to comfort her.

"Grandma, I'm so happy to see you!" Mae said. She burst into tears as she tightly squeezed her grandmother with one arm.

Grandma Lily gently pushed herself away from Mae in order to look at her. "Mae, darling, you have to hand me the watch or they could hurt you,"

Mae looked down at her hands clenching onto the alien watch and back at her grandmother. Looking into her warming orbs, Mae smiled. She nodded to her grandmother's request, agreeing. Her grandmother outstretched her hand as Mae was handing her the watch. But, an image of Oscar popped in Maven's head as she heard his words. Mae stopped.

"Maven?" her grandmother said her name questionably.

Mae gently took a step back as she gazed at her grandmother with fearful eyes. She pressed the watch onto her chest, taking steps back. She wasn't sure why she was reacting the way she was, but the anxiousness that built inside her overwhelmed her thoughts.

"Maven Johnson, give me the watch," her grandmother demanded.

Mae slowly shook her head, unsure to trust her grandma. "No?"

"Give me the watch, Maven," Grandma Lily growled.

Maven was pressed against the front door, trapped. Her grandmother inched closer with her palm open for Mae to hand her the watch. However, Maven noticed Grandma Lily's pupils glisten with a peculiar glint. Maven instantly felt her stomach tie into a big knot. She knew something was _definitely_ not right.

Mae frowned, her eyes narrowing at her grandmother. "No."

A dark shadow covered her grandma's eyes; however, the glowing pupils caught Mae's attention. Mae's heart stopped when she saw her sweet grandmother grow a toothy sneer.

"Fine," her voice hissed, "I'll have to _forcefully_ take it from you, child,"

Mae felt herself shrink against the ice-cold door as she watched her grandmother transform into a hideous monster. Ogling at the sight, she saw her grandmother grow arms on the side of her body and her skin tearing into shreds as her new body outgrew it. Her gentle hands turned into lanky claws, her warm eyes turned yellow, and her bright smile turned to sharp, crooked teeth. She hissed loudly, a long, snake-like tongue sticking out. She leaned over with her multiple ligaments on the floor like a spider.

She hissed and a large wad of mucus was launched her direction. Mae threw herself to the corner of the hallway and noticed steam coming from the puddle of mucus as it was forming a hole through the door.

"What the hell!" Mae exclaimed, voice cracking.

Her grandmother snapped her head at Mae and spit at her again. Mae ducked, then quickly kicking the monster's head. As the monster lost her balance, Mae leapt over her and skidded down the hallway to turn the corner. However, she smelt a pungent stench over her shoulder. She looked to see her backpack steaming from a large wad of acid spit. Screaming, she threw her backpack off her shoulder and across the room with her objects flying out. She inhaled sharply, turning her head to see the monster prowling closer.

The monster hissed again, "Give me the watch, child,"

Maven scowled, glaring at the beast. She barked at her; "Over my dead body!"

The monster chuckled, sneering. "Suit yourself,"

The monster leapt onto the side of the wall and started to race towards Mae. As she was crawling across the wall - panicked and afraid - Mae sprinted into the kitchen. Heart racing, she quickly glanced over the counter and noticed kitchen knives in a wooden knife block. She jumped over the kitchen table and pulled out a kitchen knife from the block. She turned around and saw the monster in the doorway, hissing and growling.

Pointing the knife at the monster, Mae slowly circled around the table with the monster following. However, Mae was having trouble carrying the knife due to her trembling hand. The monster noticed Mae's weakness and she deeply chuckled.

"You know that I don't want to do this, Maven. You were like my own youngling - who I did care deeply for. We had a lot of marvelous times together, don't you think? I mean, I raised you to be this successful youngling who will be having such a bright future! Why would you want all of that to go to waste? However, after all those years of waiting to this moment, it just saddens me that I have to hurt _you_ ," the monster said, hissing.

"'All those years'? What did you to my grandmother?" Maven asked, inching away from the beast.

"Oh, I gotten rid of her _years_ ago!" the monster replied, laughing. The monster added, "It humors me to see how gullible you Terrans are. I just wonder how great it'll be to see you and your grandmother together - six feet under!"

Maven heard the static in her mind. She felt her pulse quicken, beating against her temples. "This couldn't be." and "This is not real." were said repeatedly inside her head. Pieces of string that connected all her memories together slowly broke; as a result, Maven was slowly breaking into pieces.

Ignoring her trembling body, Maven grew angry. She narrowed her eyes at the beast. "Try me, _grandma_."

The monster sneered at the frightened teen. She leapt onto the table and spit at her again. Mae countered it by ducking underneath the kitchen table. She flipped onto her back and began to rapidly stab underneath it. Screaming, she continued to stab with her anger, fear, and anxiety overriding her body. Her eyes were squeezed shut, wishing for this to be a terrible nightmare. Stab. Stab. Stab. Her arm tried her best to force the knife through the thick, solid wood of the table. She wanted this to end.

A loud screech pierced the walls inside the small kitchen and the raved monster disappeared from the top of the table. Mae heard a loud crashing sound in the living room. Crawling out underneath the table, Mae noticed a large hole through the kitchen wall. Stumbling, she went into the living room and noticed a gigantic mutant cat on top of the raved beast.

The cat had two tails with spikes trailing its spine. Its claws were large and black and it had a variety of stripes shaded orange. However, Mae couldn't get a perfect view of the mutant cat as she was standing behind the mess.

The spider monster, that was her grandmother, threw the cat off of her and into the wall. The cat landed on its feet and roared loudly at the spider.

Now, Mae noticed its large mane and its two long, sharp canines that protruded from its mouth like a saber tooth tiger. Mae's mind clicked.

"Socks?" Mae asked, surprised. Then, slapping her hand on her forehead, Mae suddenly felt faint as the shock of today's events was slowly catching up to her. "My pet is an alien!"

Socks grabbed the spider monster from her neck and thrashed her around like a chew toy. The monster collided against the living room wall knocking the pictured portraits off the wall. Socks leapt at the monster and continued to attack it.

Mae tried to pick up her feet so she could run to the door to leave the scene. Her trembling hand dropped the knife and Mae rushed out the house. As she stood in the yard, she turned around and noticed how peaceful it looked on the outside (besides the gaping hole on the door). It surprised her how people would've never known what just happened inside.

Instantly, Socks was launched through the front window with glass and wooden frame rocketing through the air. Mae dropped to the ground and covered her head. She looked over to Socks and noticed her mutant cat transform into his normal form; however, he was knocked unconscious. Mae crawled to his side and let him curl into her arms, worried for his well-being.

As she looked over, she saw the monster crawl out onto the porch. Making eye-contact with the teenage girl, the monster sneered. She retched and a large wad of spit launched at the trunk of the tree. _Crack!_ Mae turned her head towards the tree and noticed the tree slowly lean towards her direction.

"Aw, man," Mae drawled, sighing.

As the tree was beginning to get closer to Mae, she jumped to the side. The tree crashed onto the earth resulting a loud echoing crash. Pieces of cement and earth broke and flew into the air causing large amounts of debris.

A car screeched to a stop in front of Mae's house, grabbing Mae's attention. Mae noticed its familiar green and black (Mae couldn't be more relieved to see it). The passenger door opened and a boy appeared inside.

"Come with me if you want to live!" the boy yelled.

Mae deadpanned, wondering if he really quoted a cliché line. But, a loud hissing made Mae turn to the tree trunk. The monster was crawling over it and beginning to head its way over to Mae.

"Maven! Get in the damn car!" the boy demanded, impatiently.

Mae didn't object. She clenched onto the watch and her pet cat as she sprinted to the sports car. She jumped into her seat and quickly shut the door.

"Go, go, go, go, go, and _go_!" Mae screamed, hitting the stranger's arm.

"Going, going, and _going_!" the boy hollered back.

He quickly put the car in drive and the tires screeched as he raced down the street in Mae's neighborhood. Mae whipped her head over the car seat and saw the monster quickly chasing after the car.

"She's still on our tail!" Mae screamed, worried.

The boy looked at his rearview mirror, cussing. "Not for long," he stated.

He pressed a button on his stereo system and a large panel of switches appeared. The boy smirked and switched three of the red switches. The car transformed with large missiles coming out of the sides of the car. A monitor appeared in front of Mae with a red target that appeared on the spider monster with a red button on the edge. Mae desperately pressed the button (multiple times, actually). The missiles launched one after the other at the monster, giving Mae slight relief.

Mae looked back over the seat and saw a large explosion erupt. Mae slumped in her seat, sighing heavily. The boy looked at the rear view mirror and noticed the monster gone.

In an alley, the duo sat in silence. Socks already woken up and began to meow hungrily on Mae's lap. However, Mae's mind was dozing off and replaying the chaotic scenes that have occurred recently (specifically it was Gorilla, Oscar, Grandma Lily, and Socks). It was so hard for Mae to trust anyone. How did all of this turn to shit? She wondered.

The boy looked at Mae, scanning her. He noticed the girl's hair loose and disheveled with strands sticking to some parts of her forehead and cheeks. Her ear peeked through the strands to show two black helix piercings that seemed irritated from the sweat build up. Looking down, he noticed the teen's hands tremble as she held the wristwatch. He felt bad as he watched the innocent girl sitting in his passenger seat with fear and distress.

Feeling the boy's gaze, Mae looked over at the boy. He had long, shaggy midnight hair with dark, green eyes. He wore a blank, white shirt underneath an unkempt button-up shirt. His right wrist was wrapped with a white bandage and there was a small scar on the right side of his jaw.

Tapping his hands on his thighs, the boy spoke first to ease his uneasiness from Mae's piercing gaze. "The alien that attacked you at your house is Isah. She is an alien morph hybrid known as an Araneomorvespula, a species of alien that is similar to an Earth's spider and wasp," He added, without thinking. "It appears to be a GMA - genetically modified alien."

"Yeah, she was disguised as my grandmother!"

"Morphs tend to do that. They are able to morph into anything organic through contact," the boy added.

"That figures. I mean, she did take my grandmother-that-I-never-met-before identity. Like, did I somehow piss off an intergalactic species because of something that I did?"

The boy rested his hand on the top of the steering wheel. Mae noticed how his body stiffened, after her comment. The boy sighed, letting his head hang.

"Not exactly," he mumbled, then continued, "She wasn't after you, but seemed to be after your parents...and that watch,"

Mae froze. She fell silent when he heard about the news.

The boy looked at her, worried that he broke her. However, it was too late. The inside of Mae snapped and she felt all her emotions drain out of her body as her mind went blank. The boy noticed the light in her pupils disappear. Because of this stupid watch, Maven realized that all the hell that happened in the span of two hours was because of this stupid watch.

Trying to convince the teen, the boy tried to explain. "It was a matter of time. Isah was waiting for your dad to come home, but in the end he had never came back. So, she was beginning to think that it was a waste of time to stay as your grandmother; however, years ago there was an energy reading coming from the very watch you hold. But, the energy spike was because of the watch giving out a deadly impulse in your mother's laboratory," the boy said, waiting for Mae to respond. However, she stared out of the front window emotionless. The boy continued, "My mom gotten the omnitrix – the watch – and sealed it away into a vault that blocks energy waves and let the watch hibernate into an orb that contains the rogue energy. The watch disappeared from enemy scanners after that,"

The boy let his fingers comb through his thick, black locks. He sighed again. "And, well, my parents disappeared too. But, I was too young to remember. The only reason that I know about that story was because my mother logged it into her computer; but, after locking the omnitrix away, she didn't make a log again,"

Mae was speechless. She couldn't even think of anything to say about what the boy was telling, yet how could she? She was more preoccupied about the fact that every person who she cared about was gone or an alien.

"All of my life has been a lie," Mae mumbled, looking down at the watch. Socks meowed out of concern of her owner, rubbing his furry cheek against her chin.

"What? No, no!" The boy interjected, saying; "Your life isn't a lie, Maven. I mean - well, um, you're still Maven. You must understand that you have never known what the outside world was like. This is your chance to truly know who you are and what awaits you!"

Mae whipped her head and glared at the boy. She was furious. "Who I am? Who I _am_! How the hell would I know who I am? My grandmother was _never_ my grandmother, my cat is some mutant alien, my dad ditched me as a kid, my mom died because of this stupid watch, my closest friend is some weird jellyfish, and now – all of a freaking sudden!– aliens are chasing after me! I don't even _believe_ in aliens! How can I know who I am when I don't know anything about myself anymore! All of this is happening to me because of this stupid watch!"

The boy spoke softly, "Maven,"

"Don't _Maven_ me, dude! You don't understand –"

The boy fumed, interjecting Maven's rampage, " _I_ don't understand! You're not the only one who didn't have parents growing up! I had to grow up at my grandparents' house without any knowledge of my family line except for the fact that going to a nice prestige school is all I needed to work for! But, no! When I was thirteen, hitting 'The Puberty', I discovered I was able to absorb energy and any object on this stupid planet! Do you understand how painful that was to know I was one of those _things!_ I called you up here because I needed _your_ help, Maven!"

Mae stared at the boy dumbfounded by his words. She sat in the passenger seat in utter silence with tears in the corner of her eyes.

"I called you with the Plumber's badge. I was the one who led you to the omnitrix – the watch. I need you Maven. I need you to help me," the boy said desperately.

"You? You were the one who put that disk in my bag?"

The boy nodded, confused about Mae asking. Mae frowned, truly upset about the fact. "I'm leaving,"

She opened the passenger door and left the boy alone inside. Socks followed behind her with his tail pointing up, showing his rear at the boy. The boy panicked and called out for the teen girl. Mae stomped her way around the alley's corner and down the sidewalk, ignoring the calls from the stranger.

"Maven, wait up! Please, listen to me!"

Mae quickly turned around and stomped her foot. "No, I'm done listening. Do you not get how much shit you caused me! I almost lost my reputation in The Honor Society at my school because of the constant beeping of the 'Plumber's badge' and-"

"I was trying to track you, okay? The whole time I was trying to lead you to the watch. I was desperate," the boy interrupted. He smiled sheepishly at Mae with his shoulders raised.

"Desperate?"

Mae's face dropped into a poker-face. She turned around and started her way down the sidewalk again. The boy panicked, quickly running after her. He jumped in front of the small brunette. However, Mae would step side-to-side to get out of his way. He persisted to try and stop Mae from storming off.

He grabbed Mae's arms and made her halt into place. "Maven, listen to me. I'm sorry for what has happened to you – I truly am sorry. But, my name is Jason Levin – the son of Gwen and Kevin. Your name is Maven Tennyson – the daughter of Ben Tennyson. You're the niece to my mother, Gwen Tennyson. We're family Maven – you and I are technically cousins,"

"Cousins?" Maven asked in disbelief.

Jason nodded. "Yes, cousins. Besides the watch and all that tracking stuff, I was looking for you so you can help look for our parents,"

Maven politely let Jason unhook his hands from her arms. She looked up at him, feeling a bit of hope; however, despair hung in her heart.

"How are we supposed to do that? My dad and your parents have been gone for a long time. We have no lead! No answers! It's impossible, Jason!"

"Not impossible," Jason stated, smiling. He grabbed Maven's hand that held onto the omnitrix, showing her that this is what could help.

"The watch?" Maven asked skeptically. She laughed, but stopped when Jason stood quiet. "Oh, you're serious."

"Yes, this omnitrix will help us on our venture to find our parents. It contains over ten-thousand aliens that give you the ability to be in their shoes and help the universe."

"And _I_ need to wear it, why?"

Jason sighed, taking the watch from Maven's hands. He pointed at it, saying, " _This_ watch, by default, is attached to Ben Tennyson's DNA," He pointed at Maven, continuing, "And you, Maven Tennyson, are the closest to Ben Tennyson's DNA as it can get! If I wear it, my DNA will instantly combine with Ben's and – trust me – that'll be...messy."

Maven pondered about the situation – thinking crucially about the issue.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not wearing it."

Jason's jaw dropped out of shock. Maven walked around Jason, leaving him with the watch. Socks quickly followed after her, hissing at the boy as he left him behind. Jason shot a look at the tabby cat.

Jason shook his head and turned around to quickly follow Maven. "Maven, don't you get it! Don't you want to find your dad!"

"My _dad_ left years ago and never came back. Honestly, Jay, he doesn't mean a thing to me."

"What! Do you not get what your dad did in his prime! He was hero – an intergalactic hero! He always saved the universe! He's a legend, Mae!"

Maven halted and turned around to look Jason in the eyes. She stood on her tiptoes and pointed a finger close to his face. "Listen, I don't care if he saved the world from the Bubonic Plague! He was never a father to me because he left me in the dust! The only _father_ I had was my grandmother. Oh, wait!" Maven threw her arms up in the air angrily, yelling; "She wasn't even my grandmother!"

She turned around and took a couple steps away from Jason. However, he didn't follow her. He understood why Maven would be truly upset. He slumped his shoulders and deeply sighed.

He stated, seriously, "I understand. But, Mae, please take the watch. Well, it is your decision if you want to or not – I can't make you. But, Mae, you aren't alone on this. You never were and you never will be."

Maven halted when he heard the words pour out of Jason's mouth. He continued, "I'm going to swallow my pride right now and say this, Maven. All my life I thought there wasn't any hope left to find my parents – that they were truly gone. But, when I found you Maven, I felt that twinge of hope inside me. I knew that you could lead us to find our parents – together. With this omnitrix, it will help us follow the path of our parents. But, I need you to be beside me. I can't do this alone."

Without any reply from Maven, Jason decided to leave the omnitrix on the sidewalk and turn around to go back to his car.

When Maven heard his footsteps vanish, she turned around and saw the watch rest on the sidewalk by itself.

As she stared at the watch that lied on the ground, Maven could've sworn she felt a twinge of hope tug her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

I apologize that it has been _ages!_ I'm terrible at this stuff. I just started college a year ago and it is kicking my arse! Anyway, here is an update! /dusts off my keyboard/

* * *

And Then There was Maven

Jason felt weight pressed upon his chest, after the discussion with Maven. He was expecting a different result like her jumping with joy and excitement. But, the image of Maven's angered expression threw Jason in a loop (partially scared too). Jason sighed, hating how the tables have turned on him.

He arrived at Maven's high school, noticing the school in ruins. Putting the car in park, Jason went to the trunk and pressed the logo that brightly turned green. The trunk popped open and large trays came from underneath the mat showing variety of weapons.

"Well, looks like I have to handle this myself," Jason grumbled. He grabbed two handguns and a utility belt that contained variety of grenades and other weapons of destruction.

He slammed the trunk shut, cocked his weapons, and proceeded to the destroyed building. He let the utility belt cross over his chest so the grenades won't bang against each other as he walked.

Walking onto the school's property, Jason cautiously scanned the area. He noticed that trees were pulled from the earth, cars were thrown to various places, and part of the building was torn to the ground. Whistling, Jason walked over the gravel and other debris. He entered into the school, enveloping in the silence.

Jason hummed in delight as he looked at glass cases of awards and photographs of previous students. It was nostalgic to see the life of previous highschoolers. It made Jason recall his moments in high school. The drama, the crushes, and the raging hormones of a growing teenager seemed to be a dream in Jason's mind.

He graduated from his prestige school a couple months ago. It wasn't at the top of his class, but it was pretty close. Instead of his school's studies, he was more focused about space and the extraterrestrials that he hasn't discovered yet. As he grew older, he was fascinated about the abilities that he had obtained when he was thirteen. He wondered if there were other adolescents who were like him. However, he never had spoken to his grandparents about it (he was afraid of their reaction). Besides, it isn't like they had suspected anything from him.

So, he had done his research while he "studied" at the school's library. He went to other libraries to search for documents about extraterrestrials and spotted a documentation from a scientist that had discovered different species of aliens. It led him to another document about the Plumber's badge and about Plumbers. Then, during his high school career, he began to make connections with under-the-radar aliens (which is a reason for the mass amount of weapons). He worked as an alien bounty hunter, trying to collect data of other stray extraterrestrial species. That led him to more information about the omnitrix, but it was only limited.

A loud bang echoed at the end of the hallway, snapping Jason back to reality. With guns aiming at the end of the hall, Jason slowly treaded to the source of the noise. Before he would pass a hallway, he would check over the corner to make sure there wasn't a surprise awaiting him. He continue to tread down the hallway, ducking underneath hanging ceiling lights.

At the end of the hallway, Jason met with some jellyfish boy groaning in a pile of gravel. Jason quickly placed his guns in their holster and ran to his side.

"Hey, kid, are you alright?" Jason asked, tapping the person's cheek.

The boy groaned. "Dios, what happened?"

"Looks like someone beat the shit out of you, dude," Jason replied. He pulled some of the heavy gravel off the teen. He wrapped his arm behind his neck to help steady the teen on his feet.

"You're a Plumber?" the boy asked. His voice was still wavering because of his slight concussion.

"Sure, kid," Jason replied.

A loud bellow rumbled the walls, knocking some of the loose gravel off the broken walls. Jason and the boy looked over at one end of the hallways to find a large, reptilian gorilla slamming its fists on the floor.

Jason smirked. He told the boy to get cover as he set him aside. He went to the cemented wall and pressed his hand firmly. His body began to transform into the white cement from the building's wall. Looking at his reflection from the glass case, Jason noticed how his entire body was covered in cement. Jason felt his skin tingle with excitement

"Just letting you know, the thing plays rough," the boy stated, coughing.

Jason chuckled, cracking his neck. His ball of fists turned into thick cement blocks. "Good, I love rough,"

At the alleyway where Maven was left behind, she was sitting against the wall and staring at the omnitrix lying in front of her. Her legs were pressed close to her chest as her arms wrapped around her knees, assuming the fetal position. Her face was distorted like she was thinking really hard.

She banged her forehead against her forearms, groaning loudly. Underneath her arm, she saw Sock's translucent blue eyes staring straight into her green orbs.

"I don't know what I need to do, Socks," she mumbled. She looked up and stared at the watch some more. She continued, "Like, if I wear that I would be in _more_ heap of trouble,"

She looked down at her gorgeous tabby cat and furrowed her brows. "Right?" she asked, uncertain.

Socks only meowed. Letting her chin rest on her knees, Maven heavily sighed. "This is not good, Socks. If I don't wear it, I will be in danger. But, if I _do_ wear it, I will be in danger!"

Maven threw her arms up in frustration, groaning. She quickly got up and began to walk back and forth with anxiety. Because of the building irritation, she pulled the hair tie off her wrist and tried to pull her hair back into a small, stubby ponytail. She crossed her arms over her chest and kept her eyes on the watch.

Socks watched her pace around the watch with curious eyes. Then, Maven abruptly stopped. Her finger was tapping her chin as she hummed in thought. The image of Jason popped in her mind having her realize something. Her arms dropped to her sides and she looked up at the sky.

"But, my dad _is_ out there – somewhere out there," She looked at Socks with a determined expression. She clenched her fists when she glanced at the resting watch. She approached it and picked it up from the ground. "And this thing will help us. Some people need to make sacrifices, Socks. I know that I said I don't care where he is and what he did, but it wouldn't hurt to try,"

Under her breath, Maven quickly added, "Well, curiosity _did_ kill the cat."

She turned the dial and the watch beeped on. The middle of the band separated and crawled onto Maven's wrist. Maven panicked as she felt her arm tingle from the omnitrix latching onto her wrist. The display detached and a dial popped out, resulting Mae to flinch.

Her arm was extended in front of her, afraid of the watch that fastened itself onto her. The watch beeped, waiting for Maven to press it down.

"Here goes nothing," Maven wavered. Her shaking hand gently pressing the button. Almost instantly, a big flash of green blinded Mae. She felt her arm twitch and sting with pain.

"What the hell is happening!" Maven yelled. Weird, teal crystals were growing up her arm that had Maven's stomach drop.

She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip from the pain that radiated inside her body. Socks translucent eyes widened at her transforming owner.

Inside the school, Jason was fighting the large beast. He skidded as the monster threw his fist against him; pieces of his transformed skin crumbled off. He felt his body scream at him after each hit. He pressed his hands onto the floor as he knelt onto the ground. Panting, he ran towards Gorilla and threw his right arm back. His hand transformed into a cinder block to give leverage to Jason's punches. He threw his arm up, giving the monster a heavy uppercut.

Gorilla's head was thrown back getting knocked off balance. Jason took his chance and threw another punch after another. The monster was pushed back, getting knocked around. However, out of irritation, Gorilla growled and quickly caught one of Jason's punches.

"Uh oh," Jason whimpered, feeling his hand crack.

The monster pulled him up from the ground and started to thrash him around like a rag doll. In a large crater, Jason groaned loudly. His body transformed back to his original skin when Jason fell out of consciousness.

"Hey, ugly!" a voice called out.

The monster turned around and saw a buff crystalline alien at the end of the hall. The alien was covered in teal crystals with a black jumpsuit and glowing green eyes. The reptilian gorilla glared at the strange alien, feeling threatened.

Turning around, the gorilla huffed and let his fist thump against the tile. The crystalline alien raised its fists up and spread its legs shoulder width apart.

"Fight me, freak," the alien said, gritting its teeth.

The gorilla charged towards the alien, roaring loudly. The alien sprinted towards it and leapt up in the air. With its fist clenched, the alien slammed it into the ground just in front of the gorilla. Large, teal crystal spikes emerged from the ground and trailed down the hallway. Almost instantly, the gorilla was knocked back a couple feet.

The alien cackled happily. "Suck that, King Kong!"

The gorilla was shaken up from the dizziness after the collision. A puff of hair blew from its nostrils, building up with irritation. The alien pounded its fists together, getting ready to handle the gorilla monster. Charging at the crystalline alien, the gorilla boiled with anger and yearned to harm the alien.

The gorilla collided with the alien, but it dug its feet into the ground to stop the traction.

The alien gritted its teeth, trying to wrestle the monster back. Pushing one leg ahead of the other, the alien trudged along the tile of the school's hallway.

"Get. Off. Me." The alien grabbed the monster by the sides and flipped backward.

The monster's head collided onto the ground knocking it unconscious. The alien stood up properly, dusting off its hands. A soft groan had the alien snap its head to a teen lying in a deep crater. The alien quickly ran to the teen's side, worried about his welfare.

"Jason?" the alien mumbled his name.

Jason's eyes fluttered open, still dizzy from the beating. "M-Maven, is that you?"

Maven flashed green and she transformed into her normal, adolescent self. Maven smiled warmly, chuckling at Jason's shocked expression. "Yeah, it's me,"

"Wow, you were buff," Jason said incoherently, "Wow – that's just – wow,"

Maven chuckled (Jason's disorientation seemed to entertain Mae a lot). She grabbed Jason's arm and tried to help him off the ground. Jason stumbled on his feet, but Maven pressed a hand on his back to steady him. "You should've seen the other guy," Maven stated jokily.

Jason chuckled, but gritted his teeth as he pressed weight on his foot. Maven asked what was wrong, then noticing that Jason has been limping.

"My foot – my foot is sprained really badly," Jason said through his teeth.

"We need to get you some proper help," Maven stated. She let Jason lean against her to have her support him like a crutch.

Jason shook his head. "No, we're not done with business,"

Maven sighed. "Jay, you're in no condition –"

"We can't leave," Jason interrupted; his voice stern.

At the end of the hallway, Maven noticed a person sitting at the corner by the case of awards. A familiar orange hoodie and brown pants had Maven gasp.

"Oscar!" Maven called out.

"L-Linda? Is that you?" Oscar breathed out.

Maven unhooked Jason's arm around her neck and let him lie by Oscar. She knelt in front of the boys and noticed how badly bruised up they appeared. Maven felt her eyes sting with tears, feeling scared. She felt soft fur rub around her naked ankle. She looked down and noticed the translucent eyes of her beautiful pet.

"Oh God, you guys look really bad," Maven said. She pressed her hand on one of Oscar's bruises. "Very, very bad."

Oscar hissed in pain, wincing from Mae's touch. Mae's hand flinched back when she saw her friend grimace in pain. She felt so bad - so terribly bad – that her closest friend is badly injured because of her.

Oscar rose his arm and let his hand touch Mae's. His eyes fluttered open and his soft eyes stared into Mae's. "I'm glad to see you, Maven. But, why did you come here? I told you to run,"

"I did, but..." Maven felt a hitch in her throat, forcing herself to stop speaking. Tears were slowly falling down her cheeks. Mae squeezed her eyes shut as she felt herself crumble into small pieces.

"It's okay," Oscar mumbled, letting his hand cup Mae's cheek.

Mae shook her head. She inhaled sharply, rubbing the tears from her eyes. "No, nothing is okay. Nothing is okay, Oscar. I've lost everything."

"Not everything," Jason spoke softly. He laid his hand on Mae's thigh, patting it gently. "You have me and –"

Jason looked over at Oscar. "Oscar," Oscar stated, deadpanned.

"And Oscar. Plus, Mr. Personality here," Jason added. He looked down at Socks who rubbed his cheek against Maven's shoe.

Maven giggled. Jason continued, "I know it'll take time, Maven. But, you haven't lost everything. We're here."

"Yeah? All banged up and disoriented, surely," Maven replied.

Jason smirked, noticing Maven's joking tone. "Hey, give me some credit. That's better than nothing."

The trio laughed. Maven could feel the calmness temporarily let the apprehension rise from her chest. However, she felt Sock's body stiffen. He hissed loudly and arched his back sharply.

Mae looked down at her little friend and followed his piercing glare. Gorilla was slowly getting back up from the ground.

"Wow, that guy can sure put up a fight," Jason grumbled. He clenched onto his side, feeling the pain worsen when he spoke.

Jason looked over at Mae and noticed the terrified look etched on her face. Jason tugged on her sleeve to grab her attention. "Maven, snap out of it,"

Maven looked over at Jason and he noticed her eyes watering again. "Maven, use the omnitrix and get us out of here,"

"R-right," Maven's shaking hands reached to her wristwatch and she turned the dial to try to find a suitable transformation.

She noticed a transformation with four arms and a large build. Maven slammed her hand onto the watch resulting a big, green flash. She felt her bones underneath her skin crack and crumble making her grit her teeth. Her arms split into pairs and her body stretched wider. Her skin turned red and her vision seemed a bit blurry. She was seeing in all different angles causing her to become disoriented.

"Whoa," she said. She covered her mouth with one of her hands from the sudden change of voice. "Whoa! I sound weird!"

"Wow," Oscar gawked. Oscar was speechless from Maven's transformation, needless to say.

Maven looked at the monster who groaned in pain from the head-to-ground collision. Mae looked at the two beaten boys in front of her and gathered up a plan.

She looked down at Socks and saw small spikes emerging from his spine. "Socks, take care of Gorilla for me."

Socks eyes sparked with content and he leapt over a large piece of the school's wall. As he ran towards the monster, his body instantly transformed into the mutant cat that Maven recognized from earlier that day. He firmly pressed his paws onto the ground and roared. The monster covered his ears, screaming in agony. The monster lost its footing and started to slip backward.

"Good kitty," Maven stated. She was reassured that Socks could handle it. She grabbed the two boys and threw them over her shoulder.

With her free hand, she punched a hole into the wall and saw it crumble to the ground. She raced out the building, making her way to the front of the school. She heard a loud hollering behind her, but she didn't have time to look back.

Her heart hammered inside her chest with her adrenaline racing in her veins. She caught a glimpse of Jason's car that was parked on the school's front lawn. She deadpanned, cursing in her mind about Jason's parking. She turned on her heels and began to make her way to Jason's mustang.

All of a sudden, Mae felt herself falling forward after some force knocking her off her feet. She tumbled against the ground with Oscar and Jason falling, right after. A flash of green appeared and Maven noticed her skin to appear normal. She looked to the side and saw Oscar and Jason lying on the ground unconscious. Looking back, she saw the monster carrying Socks over its shoulder. It threw her pet onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. Socks slowly shrunk in size and turned into the normal domesticated cat.

Snapping her head to the monster, Maven clenched her jaw. She clawed the earth, Mae's nails digging deep into the dirt. She felt the anger boil inside her and steaming through her ears.

She looked over at Jason and noticed the grenades still firmly attached to the utility belt across his chest. She took it off Jason's unconscious body and clenched the belt in her hand. With each step, she approached the ferocious, alien beast. Her eyes were narrow and were shadowed by her bangs. She never let her eyes off the beast before her like predator hunting prey. Gorilla's nostrils flared, puffing out air. He thumped his fists onto the earth causing the ground to rumble.

"This time I'm going to put you down for good," Mae said under her breath.

The monster noticed a peculiar glint, like flickering flames, radiating inside Maven's green eyes. The monster took a small step back, feeling an uneasiness thicken in its multiple stomachs.

Maven charged at the monster. The monster threw its arms, trying to hit the girl. However, Maven dodged each one. Maven grabbed onto the monster's arm and swung up onto its shoulders. She unbuckled the belt and wrapped it around the monster's neck. She securely buckled it and pulled the safety pins. The thrashing monster threw the girl off her shoulders and had her slamming against the ground. The monster, panicking from the new garment around his neck, tried to tug the belt off its neck. But, the continuous beeping quickened, and in that split moment of silence, the monster froze.

Maven quickly covered her head when the utility belt exploded. When she looked up she noticed weird goop covering most of the grass and parts of the school's wall. She pushed herself off the ground, her hand clenching onto her stinging shoulder, and she smiled at her triumphant victory.

"No watch required," she stated, confidently.

She held Socks, who was unconscious, and went to aid her friends. The boys groaned from the throbbing pain in the back of their heads.

"Dang, Maven," Jason groaned. He rubbed his head. "Next time, carry us like proper beings; not like potato sacks."

Maven chuckled. "No promises."

Mae extended her hand to help Jay stand up, but just behind Mae, Jason had noticed something that caused him to pale. He saw the monster lying on the floor covered in its own fluids. Jason quickly looked over at Mae – mind you, a brilliant smile etched on her face – waiting patiently for Jay to grab her hand.

She noticed Jason's pallor, wondering if he is alright. "Jay, are you okay?"

Jay's green eyes snapped to Mae's. He grinned, chuckling nervously. "Yeah, just kind of zoned out for a bit."

"Could you guys hurry up, por favor? I'm sort of in a crisis here," Oscar called out to the duo. Trying to sit up from the ground, Oscar fell right back down.

Maven acknowledged, dragging Jason with her to grab Oscar. When the trio limped away from the scene, Jason glanced back where the monster laid; his heart wretched.

Maven sat on a soft, blue sofa in the Gomez's household. She tapped her foot as she anxiously waited for any news about her two friends. Her hands wringed together, feeling her hands becoming restless and clammy. She heard a door creak open that snapped her attention to Mrs. Gomez quietly leaving the guest room. She asked Mrs. Gomez if her two friends will be okay, almost instantly.

Mrs. Gomez chuckled. She tapped Maven's shoulder reassuringly. "Preciosa, they will be alright. Just minor sprains and bruises. However, mi hijo has a bit of a bump on his head. He will be resting for a couple of days; as will your friend,"

Mrs. Gomez was Oscar's mom. She was a registered nurse for the nearby hospital, but she had to reschedule because of Oscar's father disappearing. She was a sweet woman in her mid-thirties that had her thick, black hair tied into a bun. Oscar had the same warming brown eyes like his mother – it always seemed to comfort Maven.

"A couple days?" Maven asked, surprised. "B-but, what about school? Or –"

"Relajate, Mae. It is Thanksgiving Break. Use this time to relax and get a lot of rest," Mrs. Gomez stated. She pressed Mae's shoulder, telling her to sit down on the couch. She added, "I'll be cooking dinner. Just sit here and watch T.V.,"

She watched Mrs. Gomez leave the living room and into the kitchen. When Oscar's mother disappeared, Mae quickly snuck into the guest room. She slowly opened the door; a small creak resonating in the hallway causing her to stop. She leaned over the corner to see the living room. She heard the clanking of the metal pans in the kitchen, a signal that everything appeared normal. She continued to open the door and she entered into the small guest room. Closing the door behind her, she turned around to notice the two boys resting.

The guest room was small and had two twin sized beds beside a night stand that stood in the middle. The wall was covered in floral wallpaper that peeled at the edges. Illustrations hung on the walls that depicted mountains and latin natives sitting in the circle with llamas sitting behind them. On another wall, across from the two twin beds, was a large, colorful drapery that seemed to be sewn by hand showing geometric designs. And, the one window, at the end of the room, partially let the light through the transparent drapes.

Maven snuck by Oscar's bedside and knelt at the side of his bed. She didn't want to bother him, so she watched. She noticed his calm breathing and how his snores sounded like whistles. Her childhood friend lied in bed with cuts, bruises, and sprains – all because of her. Maven could feel her heart twist inside her. The guilt resonating in her chest made her eyes slowly burn with tears. The thoughts of her causing this pain to her friends gnawed her endlessly.

She rested her head beside his resting body. She pulled the hanging covers close to her face to muffle her soft whimpering.

That late evening, Mae sat in the dinner table beside Mrs. Gomez. She picked at the broccoli with her fork, not feeling an appetite. She looked over at the empty, wooden seats, the thoughts seeping into her consciousness. Luis was in the garage supposedly "working on a school project" – quoted from himself. With Mrs. Gomez's dismay, she allowed him to skip dinner for tonight. Jay and Oscar were still resting in the guest room; a reminder about Mae's doing. Mrs. Gomez looked up and noticed the depressed girl sitting beside her.

"Do you not like it, Maven?" Mrs. Gomez asked, worry in her tone.

"No, no! It's great, Mrs. Gomez. I just had a big lunch," Mae lied. She just felt disgusted with herself to the point that not eating should be her punishment.

"Oh, well, if you need to rest. I can let you be excused," she replied, smiling.

Maven smiled warmly. She thanked her and excused herself from the dinner table. She placed her plate on the counter and trudged into the hallway. She noticed, as she was walking in the hallway, light emitted from underneath a peculiar door. She slowly creaked it open and noticed Luis inside the garage working on some particular "projects". Pieces of metal and other objects were levitating in the air.

"Luis?" Maven whispered.

Luis jumped, all the pieces of metal crashing onto the ground. Luis narrowed his eyes and snapped his head to Maven peeking around the door.

"You interrupted my concentration!" he stated sternly.

"S-sorry, I didn't think you were-"

"Working?" Luis spit out, interrupting Maven. Luis rose his hands and tried to go back to his current project.

"Yeah," Maven replied sheepishly.

She fully stepped out behind the door and walked into the garage. She gawked at all the monitors hanging on the walls, the random pieces that lied on the tables against the walls, and the stacks of papers that created crows on the floor and on shelves. Staring at a bird leaning down into a bowl of water and bobbing back up, Maven asked Luis over her shoulder what were these "projects" he was working on.

"Some vary," he said.

Maven turned around and saw Oscar's younger brother successfully form some sort of contraption that looked similar to a smoothie machine.

"And is this one of the various things you create?" Maven asked amused.

"A smoothie machine? Why yes." Luis replied, smiling over his shoulder. "I have to entertain myself some way or another."

He grabbed two plastic cups and pulled the lever down. He handed one to Maven with a grin.

"Sorry for griping at you earlier. I get a bit irritated when I'm interrupted. Trust me, I'm a better person than that," Luis stated after gulping down his smoothie.

Maven smiled. "Don't worry. I can sympathize. I hated when my grand – when people interrupt my study time."

Maven took a small sip from her smoothie, enjoying the small taste from the blueberry and banana mix. Luis threw his plastic cup away and eyed Maven curiously.

"So, what brought you here?" Luis asked, sitting down on a roller stool.

"Well, I just saw some weird light underneath the doorway –"

"No. Really," Luis said. He crossed his arms and let his arms rest on the table in front of him. "You're room is on the other side of the house. What were really wanting?"

Maven sighed heavily. "Okay, you got me. I heard you're a big techie from Oscar, so I came here because I was wondering if you could take this thing off." She rose her wrist, her sleeve falling, to show Luis her omnitrix.

His eyes widened, shocked by the sight. He dragged another stool close to him and patted the cushion to tell Maven to sit down. Maven followed, sitting on the stool. Luis grabbed Maven's wrist and let her arm rest against the table. He turned her arm side to side, scrutinizing the wristwatch. He squinted his eyes and puckered his lips.

"Curioso. Muy curioso," Luis mumbled. He snapped his fingers and a laptop flung in front of him. He turned towards it and began typing away on the keyboard.

A couple windows appeared on his display, resulting Luis to squint and pucker again. He snapped his fingers again and a large hologram appeared before the duo. Displays of the watch and other things that Maven didn't recognize were displayed in the hologram from Luis' monitor.

"Do you know what you're wearing?" Luis inquired, staring intently at the hologram.

"Yeah, it's some omnidoohickey,"

"Omnitrix," Luis corrected. He continued, "This watch is able to contain over ten-thousand different aliens. It is also – says here – a Level Twenty weapon that was created by some dude named Azmuth – the alien that is known to be the smartest in five different galaxies. Wow, how incredible!"

"Very interesting," Maven deadpanned. "But, I already know that stuff. Well, expect for that Azmuth guy..."

Luis continued, ignoring Maven's commentary. "It appears that there was a previous owner named Ben Tennyson."

A large hologram of a man appeared in front of Luis and Maven. He was tall with a thick beard that shaped his jawline. He wore a shirt that was black and white with green cargo pants. Maven sat frozen on her seat as she stared at the familiar hologram.

"He appears to be a hero – it says here. But, honestly, I have never heard of him. Wow, there's even an endless list of things he did," Luis stated, looking through the computer's monitor.

Without knowing, Maven got up from her seat and stood in front of the hologram. Her eyes never left the hologram that appeared to be her father. He appeared to be a foot taller than her as she was merely more than five feet tall. Up close, she could see the soft wrinkles by his eyes and the crinkle between his eyebrows. He was so real that Maven wanted to reach out and hold onto him, but she knew that it was foolish.

Luis looked back from the hologram to Maven, finding something quite interesting. "Hm. It appears that the man looks oddly similar to you,"

Without looking at Luis, Maven nodded her head. "Yeah, he's my dad," she replied. She shrugged her shoulders, continuing, "Supposedly,"

Luis whistled. "That's heavy."

Maven nodded again, mindlessly. "You're telling me."

Finally, Maven turned to Luis. She asked him; "So, are you able to take the watch off or not?"

"Or not. It's impossible with my tech," Luis stated, then he continued, "If I did try, however, it could possibly kill you. Plus, once the omnitrix is attached, it will be difficult to take off,"

Maven sighed, slumping her shoulders. "Great," she stated sarcastically.

She glanced over at the hologram of her father, narrowing her eyes. "Because of him, I have to be stuck with this thing. Gosh, the things I have to sacrifice. I'm beginning to regret everything,"

Luis rose a brow, suspicious of Maven's tone. "It appears that you resent him?"

Maven scoffed. She swayed her hip to the side and laid a hand on her waist. "Resent him? That doesn't even cover it. Because of him, I have gone through hell and back! Oh, besides the fact that he left me in the dust over a decade ago, I have to live with his crap now without a fair warning,"

Luis arched a brow, finding the words "over a decade ago" perplexing. He went to his computer and typed away on the keyboard. "Over a decade ago, you say?"

Different displays were illuminated of aliens that have gone missing over the past decade. Luis tried to categorize them by dates to arrange them in a better order. Maven looked at the images, recognizing a few. The six images of the aliens that have gone missing were the same ones she saw in the R.V. the day before.

"Hey, I've seen those six before," Maven spoke, pointing at the images.

Luis selected on those files and let them show before him and Maven. "It appears these six – are so called 'Plumbers' - who've gone missing ten years ago,"

"Plumbers?" Maven asked.

"They're intergalactic police guys," Luis stated, then adding, "Like my father and yours."

"Like mine and yours?" Maven tapped her chin, thinking. "Go back to the original list of missing aliens."

Luis followed. "Now, find the most recent one that happened within a couple years and one that happened thirteen years ago,"

A couple new ones displayed in front of the duo. Maven pinpointed a couple in particular. She pointed at an alien and a familiar face. "That's your dad and mine."

Luis squinted and zoomed in on the illuminating document. His eyes widened, surprised by the news. "It appears that your dad and mine were alien-napped," Maven spoke.

"It appears so," Luis stated. He sat down on the stool and tried to process the information.

Maven stared at the image of Luis' father and of hers. However, Luis' dad appeared like an average human, similar to the way Oscar appeared before Maven found out about his true appearance. She scanned the illuminated document, trying to read the information. It had the same things that the other six documents contained: birthplace, name, gender, height, and status. However, Maven knew there had to be some sort of connection with all these aliens. A picture of Gorilla flashed in Maven's mind.

"Luis," Maven spoke softly, "I need you to go back to the original six."

Luis nodded his head, scooting to the laptop. He tapped away on the keyboard and the six original aliens appeared. She scanned through them and noticed a large gorilla and a small reptilian alien. She dragged one image in front of the other and noticed a miraculous resemblance to Gorilla. This wasn't good, Mae thought. Then, she wondered how and why. She closed her eyes shut and pressed her fist against her forehead. Her memory flashbacked to one of her fights with Gorilla. She noticed as Gorilla rose its arms in the air that there was a carving in weird lettering just below its breast.

Eyes snapping open, Mae quickly scanned the room to look for some paper and pen. She went to the desk where Luis sat quietly. She wrote on the paper and passed it to Luis.

"This. Look this up, please," Mae asked him.

Luis nodded. He scanned the piece of paper onto the scanner. The picture appeared on his computer screen and instantly different images illuminated for Mae and Luis. It was overwhelming how much information came from that one word that Mae wrote, but it thrilled her.

The letters translated to an A, an H, and an A.

"AHA?" Luis asked, "Isn't that some weird, ancient 80's band?"

"Hm. It says that it's the Alien Handling Agency," Maven stated, reading a newspaper article. "They experiment on aliens to clone them to turn into hybrids for some weird 'equality' approach."

"Kind of sounds illegal," Luis said.

"Bet it is," Mae stated. She smirked, feeling excited.

The teen turned around, with a gleaming grin, and asked Luis if she could have a copy of all of this information on a flashdrive. Luis complied, applying the information into a small flashdrive.

She smiled at the illuminated images in front of her. Her green orbs reflected the hologram's light over her brilliant glint of excitement. "We've finally got a lead," Maven stated quietly.


End file.
